An experimental and numerical simulation study of the application of phase change materials (PCMs) in building components is presented for thermal management of a passive solar test-room. The experimental study was conducted in an outdoor test cell constituted of two small rooms separated with a wall containing PCM. A specific wall made of hollow glass bricks filled with PCM was studied. Three PCMs were tested: fatty acid, paraffin, and salt hydrate whose melting temperatures are 21 degrees C, 25 degrees C and 27.5 degrees C respectively. Indoor and outdoor temperatures were measured with thermocouples. Ten fluxmeters located at the centre of each wall allowed us to measure the heat fluxes across the walls. Tests were carried out in real climatic conditions. A one-dimensional numerical model has been developed to simulate the transient heat transfer process in the walls. Reasonable agreement between the simulation and the experimental results was observed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.